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There were concerns about 'darkness' of my son's skin, says Meghan Markle in explosive interview

She emphasised that the queen herself has always been wonderful to her

Meghan Markle and Harry

In the explosive interview, Prince Harry revealed that there was a rift between him and his father, Prince Charles, who had briefly stopped taking his calls. Markle, who described herself as a victim of the image-obsessed Buckingham palace, said how horrible new items about her had an impact on her mental health. Markle revealed that it led to suicidal thoughts. "I was really ashamed to say it at the time, and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry especially, because I know how much loss he has suffered. But I knew that if I didn't say it, that I would do it — and I just didn't want to be alive any more," she said.

Prince Harry admitted that the racist abuse his wife suffered from made things difficult for the couple. The couple went on to make some shocking revelations including that they got married in secret three days before their televised wedding. Meghan revealed that she did not have access to her passport, driver's license or keys when she joined the royal family. She got them back only when they stepped back as royals.

Prince Harry also said that he no longer shared a close relationship with his brother William. Markle cleared up about her rift with sister-in-law Kate Middleton. She said that it was Middleton who drove Markle to tears in a clash over dresses for the flower girls, but refused to talk about it further as she said Middleton had apologised for the same.

The interview of the couple with Oprah Winfrey has been the most anticipated one since the much-talked about interview with Princess Diana, where she said, “there were three of us in this marriage,” referring to Prince Charles' extramarital relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles.

Talking about tabloid press' negative reports about Meghan, Harry said his biggest fear was “history repeating itself,” referring to Princess Diana's torrid relationship with the press, which ended in a the Princess being dead after a high-speed car chase with photographers.

Meghan Markle told television presenter Oprah Winfrey that she realised soon after marrying Prince Harry that she learned that the institution of the royal family would not protect her. In their pre-taped interview on Sunday night, Meghan told Winfrey: "Not only was I not being protected, but they were willing to lie to protect other members of the family, but they weren't willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband." She did not give specific examples.

She said when she was first pregnant with son Archie, there were concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he is born. Meghan declined to say who had this conversation with Harry that he relayed to her, saying revealing their name would be very damaging.

Meghan also said she was stunned when she was told he would not be a prince and would not receive security from the palace. Meghan said she did not worry about being a divorced, mixed-race American actress entering the British royal family, but later she thought about it because they made me think about it.

Meghan said it was not so much the royal family members themselves who treated her this way, but the people behind the institution. 

She emphasised that the queen herself has always been wonderful to her.

Meghan Markle told Oprah Winfrey that she didn't fully understand what the job was when she married Prince Harry.

Winfrey's hotly anticipated two-hour pre-recorded interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex began its airing on CBS in the US on Sunday night, with Meghan sitting alone with Winfrey. 

The two talked about the early days before the royal marriage, with Meghan saying there was no way to understand what the day-to-day was going to be like.

"That's what was really tricky over those past few years, is when the perception and the reality are two very different things," Meghan said. "And you are being judged on the perception, but you are living the reality of it." Meghan also revealed that she and Harry were technically married a few days before the ceremony watched by the world.